In case you haven't dropped by recently and are thinking this doesn't look like suburban Brisbane, you are right! I have been on unpaid leave from my regular job to complete a 75-working-day contract in an advisory role in Jakarta, Indonesia.
I have been home from my first instalment for nearly a week now, and head back for another 8 weeks in a couple of months. However, my early winter garden is not particularly interesting and is in desperate need of weeding and tidy-up, while I have been flu-ey and not up to it, so I thought I might once again 'borrow' from the gardens I saw in my travels in Indonesia for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.
The photos that follow were taken last Wednesday, my last day in Indonesia, which was Day Three of my R&R visit to Jogyakarta in Central Java. After a morning tour of the Sultan's palace or
kraton, I still had several hours to lose myself and wander around the streets and laneways adjoining the palace, before plane-hopping back to Jakarta, then Sydney, and finally home to Brisbane.
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| A single bloom of Justicia coccinea above a bright yellow doorway. |
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| Typical roadside food stall or warung |
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| Becaks - a popular means of transport around Yogya. |
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| You don't have to have a big garden bed to have lots of greenery in Jogya. |
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| Love the citrusy croton against the aqua, and check out the great collection of Desert Roses Adenium (right). Together with euphorbias, which I included in my previous post, they were the most popular potted plants throughout the city. |
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| The same aqua-coloured walls, this time with papaya or paw paw, a sprinkling of Desert Rose flowers and, I think the taller shrub with multiple leaflets is a Curry Tree. |
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| Love the intense blue of this pea flower |
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| Yogya's batiks are traditionally in shades of brown - displayed here against the city walls. |
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| (No blooms of note - but I have a weakness for doorways!) |
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| Another collection of desert roses. |
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| And yet another. |
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| My doorway fetish strikes again. This one is illustrated with wayang shadow puppets. |
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| Space is no impediment to a garden in Jogya. |
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| A great collection including mother-in-laws tongues, cordyline, euphorbia, croton, and diffenbachia. |
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| Meet the locals! |
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| The boys! |
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| Can you see 'Ginger's' shyer friend? (Behind the back right table leg) |
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| Croton, euphorbia, diffenbachia. |
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Final glimpse - Jogya has vanished beneath the clouds, but the menacing Mount Merapi, about 17 miles to the city's north, looms above them. The name 'Merapi' means mountain of fire, and it is the most active volcano in Indonesia. |
To see other gardens around the world (without the holiday snaps and doorway photos), visit
Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day on the 15th of the month.
Loved your photos once again!
ReplyDeleteThanks - all credit to the subject material!
DeleteThose Desert Roses are just wonderful! I just love that the people have their gardens despite the lack of gardening space - pots and cans of plants everywhere! Love 'the boys' shot too!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I found inspiring too, Bernie. Where there's a will, there's a way for gardeners.
Deletealoha,
ReplyDeletebeautiful walk and tour, thanks for taking us on this walk, shows you that gardens can be beautiful even on a small scale
I agree Noel. I think it is quite inspirational what can be done both a small scale and a small budget. I'm sure most of these plants are grown from cuttings from friends and neighbours.
DeleteI love that bed of greenery, and how they squeezed plantings into tight spaces. I also love the use of aqua. It's in almost every shot. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLove that aqua too. I keep prowling round the house trying to work out a way to introduce it or maybe strengthen the very pale duck egg blue tones I have in a couple of the rooms upstairs.
DeleteGorgeous photos, and such strong, saturated colours, like they jump out to you. Somehow it doesn't really look like that back here in England, the light is different, more mellow. Loved the desert rose :-)
ReplyDeleteThe desert roses and the euphorbia were real stand outs among the potted plants. I will definitely try to add a few more to my collection.
DeleteGreat post, I love seeing people's travels as well as at home. Feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mac. The doc thinks I might have whooping cough, but I feel heaps better.
DeleteNice, there's just something about jungle beauty and volcano's.
ReplyDeleteThe volcanos are amazing. There are so many active ones in Indonesia. The 'son of' Karakatoa is not all that far from where I am working in Jakarta. I'd love to head there one weekend for a look.
DeleteLoved the tour and it's fascinating to see some of the same tropical plants that I have in my own garden!
ReplyDeleteI too have a weakness for doors. We must be brain twins!
David/:0)
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DeleteWe are definitely on the same wave length with favourite plants, too!
DeleteHi Marisa, hope you feel better again. Enjoyed all your photos
ReplyDeleteLike the different doorways too, I had once exactly the same yellow door! I like the generosity of colour and pots and plants in the smallest nook. Looks like a curry tree popular, the leaves are so popular in cooking. Batik is such a beautiful art and I am sure you brought some nice pieces back to Brissy. Love the shabby chic look of white and blue + pots and plants, very aesthetic. Every picture tells a story, even ginger's shy friend! Best Wishes T.
Thanks, Titania and bravo too for having had a cheery yellow door. Some of the batik was stunning. I took a photo of one particular batik silk sarong that was just stunning and teamed with a top in that gorgeous clear yellow. Sadly it was way out of my budget, but I'll post the photo shortly.
DeleteI love all the pots of plants, all different shapes and sizes. Plus it's interesting to see the plants I know as houseplants growing outside in their natural environment.
ReplyDeleteYour doorway fetish is brilliant! Hope you feel better soon too. :)
Thanks. The pot plants were lovely and well selected too. Even in the narrow little laneways, they seemed to have selected plants with upright growth so nothing encroached on the walkway.
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